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Recently, I have taken my ex to court. CAFCASS have recommended that I have indirect contact letters and cards each fortnight. However, I've only heard once from my children. As the order does not have names, it says the father (myself) is to have indirect contact. I believe that my ex is in breach of the order.
Hi There,
.
I am unsure as to the way indirect contact works, I'm not sure if the letters you send should get replies, or if indirect contact is in a way of you writting to them, hopefully someone will be able to answer that for you so keep checking back.
.
GTTS
Does the order state specifically how indirect contact is to be applied, for example "letter to be sent each fortnight"?
Does it specify that the children are to respond within a set length of time?
If the order itself is vague, it might be difficult to show a breach of the order. Are you due back to court for a review, Or was the case closed?
I don't believe an order for contact would force the children to write back to you - in theory the resident parent should encourage it, but it's not enforceable in any event. I think the order is effectively telling the mother that she has to allow the children to see the letters etc, but again, it's virtually impossibly to enforce or prove that she hasn't, I'm afraid.
It's not a matter of forcing, but I remember a thread from a couple of months ago where a member wrote...
court order says "The mother will accept cards\letters from the father posted to her home address on a monthly basis. The mother is to encourage a response from the children within two weeks".
So a court order can contain such instructions and because there is a time limit mentioned this can be used to return to court to argue that because no responses from the child have been forthcoming, how can the father know if the children are receiving them, or being encouraged to respond.
Hi,
I had an indirect contact order for me to get a picture once a month in return for cards and gifts, the order was made last july and im yet to be a receive a picture even thought i have kept my side of the deal. These orders are not worth the paper they are written on im afraid mate. If you breach her whats the worst the court will do to punish her??..give her a telling off which will hold zero substance anyways, and it would have cost you £215 to get her that telling off as you would need to have taken her back to court.
Paul
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